Marc Myers writes daily on jazz legends and legendary jazz recordings

July 26, 2014

Weekend Wax Bits

In case you missed my two posts on Dave Lambert last week, you'll find them here and here. The first looks back on the life and music of the vocalese singer while the second features Dee Lambert, Dave's daughter, reminiscing about what made her father special. More to come on Dave Lambert down the road. [Pictured above, Dave Lambert and Iola Brubeck at the recording session of The Real Ambassadors in September 1961]

Denny Zeitlin—Stairway to the Stars (Sunnyside). Back in November 2001, pianist Denny Zeitlin appeared at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City, Calif., with Buster Williams on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. A recording of their performance has just been released and, like all of Denny's albums, it's an adventure. On songs like There Will Never Be Another You, I Could Have Told You and I'll Take Romance. Denny turns standards inside out without abandoning their spirit. Songs start with a familiar reference point, with Denny then layering the melody with gorgeous chord changes. Then he takes us off on an improvisational voyage deep inside the song, giving you insight into what makes it special and what holds it together. I know this sounds a little odd, but I loved listening to this album in a completely dark room. Only then can you truly let go and feel the tidal pull of his approach and enjoy his scuba exploration of music, where the notes dart around like tropical fish. This album is worthwhile for Oleo alone. Trust me, no matter how well you know Sonny Rollins's standard, you don't know it like this.

Ross Porter [above], CEO of Jazz.FM91, Canada's leading jazz radio station in Toronto, was interviewed recently by FYI Music on his leadership, jazz and the celebrities he has interviewed over the years. Go here.

Abbey Lincoln. Vocalist Teri Roiger will be singing the music of Abbey Lincoln in New York on Wednesday, Aug. 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. at La Maison D'Art at 259 West 132 St. She'll be joined by pianist James Weidman, bassist John Menegon and drummer Steve Williams. For information and reservations: 718-593-4108. Or go here. Admission is $15 and includes complimentary wine and d’oeuvres. Teri's album Dear Abbey: Music of Abbey Lincoln can be found here.Orson Welles [above]. Director Raymond De Felitta (Rob the Mob, Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris) wrote a super post about Orson Welles' depressive years at his blog Movies 'til Dawnhere. If you love film, Raymond's posts are always informative and inside.

Bird and Diz in L.A. Sometimes I wish I could press a button and have the entire Los Angeles jazz scene moved across the Hudson River to New Jersey. Ken Poston, the head of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute, knows how to put on a concert. Ken and Charlie Shoemake alerted me to this one within minutes of each other (as a form of torture, I'm sure). Ken is producing Bebop Invades the West Coast, celebrating Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie's West Coast debut at Billy Berg's in December 1945. The concert will feature alto saxophonist Charles McPherson and trumpeter Jon Faddis along with vibist Charlie Shoemake and others. The concert will be held on Friday, Aug. 29 at 8:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Musicians Union Auditorium at 817 Vine Street in Hollywood.

Now get ready to cry: The original building [above] which housed Billy Berg's, still stands at 1356 Vine St. and is now Los Balcones Restaurant. A special VIP pre-concert dinner/party will be held in the historic location and will include a screening of Billy Berg's home movies from 1945-46 and rare broadcast recordings from the club.

The Civilized Cinema. In the U.S., our film for this weekend submitted by reader John Cooper was entitled The Girl-Getters (1964). In the U.K., where the film was made, it was called The System. Either way, the youth-culture movie with a rock beat (by Stanley Black) was directed by Michael Winner and featured cinematography by Nicolas Roeg...

Oddball album cover of the week.

Pete Jolly really lives up to his last name here. Interesting touch making sure we can see his wedding ring. What a swinger.

About

Marc Myers writes regularly for The Wall Street Journal and is author of "Anatomy of a Song" (Grove) and "Why Jazz Happened." Founded in 2007, JazzWax is a two-time winner of the Jazz Journalists Association's best blog award.